For the first time in over 50 years, the Philadelphia Eagles will begin the NFL’s regular season by hosting long-time NFC East rival Dallas on Thursday, Sept. 4.
The reigning Super Bowl champions haven’t started a campaign against the Cowboys in the City of Brotherly Love since 1970, long before television and streaming rights fees were a blip on anyone’s radar.
Now, with broadcast money the golden goose for America’s passion, the league wanted to put their best foot forward from Day 1 with Eagles-Cowboys in a standalone environment.
A league source told Philadelphia Eagles on SI that the decision was made to tap into one of the league’s best rivalries after missing out on some compelling matchups in recent seasons due to injuries or circumstance, like each team resting key players in scheduled late-season affairs.
“Philly had a lot of good, interesting matchups, and we kicked around a lot of them,” NFL vice president of broadcasting Onnie Bose told Albert Breer of SI. “Washington, a division rival in a rematch of the [conference] title game? The Eagles have the Lions at home. Denver has that feel of an up-and-coming team. Chicago, too.
“But starting last year with Baltimore and Kansas City, an AFC title game rematch, felt big. And as we looked through the schedule, we wanted to push ourselves—Let’s go big in the big windows.
“Any of a number of games would work in that window. But Dallas felt good, it felt right. It’ll be a charged environment, they’re raising the banner, a rival coming in.”
In this instance, big meant the Super Bowl champions vs. the brand.
The Eagles might be the reigning kingpins on the field, but the league still believes that the two brands that move the needle most right now are Kansas City and Dallas.
“Look, the Cowboys are always a draw, the fan base is there, the interest is there,” Bose said. “Yes, they were 7–10 last year, but they had 12–5 seasons the three previous years, Dak [Prescott] was hurt. Where will they be this year, 12–5 or 7–10? Well, they’re in one of the most competitive divisions, they have a track record, you have CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons.
“This wasn’t going to be the year the Cowboys were only going to get two prime-time games.”
Already, ticket sales are backing up Bose’s beliefs.
According to Gametime.co, the Cowboys-Eagles opener is the hottest ticket for the 2025 season, based on a median price of $1,242.
The Cowboys as a whole have four of the top-10 games per ticket sales. The Eagles’ only other game in the top 10 is a Nov. 10 game at Lambeau Field against another heavyweight brand in the Green Bay Packers.
The good news for Philadelphia fans is that the Eagles can handle things on the field and perhaps set Dallas on a course to getting only two primetime games next season.
